Chapter 1My ex-husband was dying of cancer, and I was still there with him in the hospital.
You think it's because I still love him?
Hell. Fucking. NO.
I was just waiting for him to sign the damn will.
Oh, my dear ex-husband—remember that night? When I bleeding out our baby in the ER, you were eating cake with that woman's son. Right?
Ha.
Now? I will make sure you sign this will: the company, the house, our daughter—ALL. MINE.
And that "sweet, understanding" bitch you worshipped?
I'll wait until the second before you take your last breath.
Then tell you: I already put her in prison. With my own hands.
Hope the cake in there tastes just as good.
--
The security guard had just finished kicking over my display when my ex pulled up, my ex pulled up, his sleek black sedan purring to a stop.
Pierce Rush stepped out, took one look at the scattered bracelets and earrings glittering on the pavement, then at our daughter Clover Cross, and let out this long, tired breath.
"Let's get back together," he said, voice flat. "She shouldn't have to live like this."
I didn't hesitate. Didn't even pretend to think it over.
I said yes.
After that, everything changed on my end.
I stopped calling him out. Stopped losing it every time he chose Tessa and Hayden over us.
Clover stopped grabbing onto his pant leg whenever Hayden Cade showed up—yeah, the kid belonging to the woman Pierce grew up with.
When he stayed out all night with Tessa Cade and her son, we didn't blow up his phone. Didn't send passive-aggressive texts.
If we saw them together in public, we'd just turn around and walk the other way.
We became exactly what he always said he wanted—quiet, easy, no drama.
So why the hell did his eyes start turning red?
"Sloane Cross," he said, voice cracking just a little, "why aren't you pissed off anymore?"
Then he crouched down in front of Clover. "Baby girl, how come you don't hug Daddy like you used to?"
After we wrapped up the paperwork at the courthouse and drove back to his place, Pierce trailed behind us up the walkway.
Clover and I stopped at the front door.
"Why aren't you going in?" I said quietly.
"Code's different now," I added.
Right then, the door swung open from the inside.
Tessa stood there in a cute little apron, pretending to look all flustered and sweet.
"What took you guys so long? Hayden asked about you, like, a million times." She paused, eyes flicking to me. "Oh. Mrs. Rush?"
I gave her a small nod.
"Oh my God, Mrs. Rush, please don't get the wrong idea," she said, voice all breathy and sweet. "Pierce has been swamped with work lately, so I just swung by to drop off some chicken soup."
"And I'm, like, hopeless with codes, so Pierce changed it to my birthday instead. I'll totally change it back. Promise."
But she didn't move. Just stood there with this smug little gleam in her eyes that said everything she wasn't saying out loud.
"Daddy!"
A small body came barreling into Pierce's legs.
Tessa quickly covered Hayden's mouth, eyes wide like she was terrified I was about to snap.
"Hayden, sweetie, we talked about this," she said in a stage whisper. "It's 'Mr. Rush,' remember?"
Pierce glanced over at me, shifting on his feet.
When he saw that Clover and I weren't making a scene—no yelling, no tears, nothing—something flickered across his face.
Surprise, maybe.
Clover's room wasn't hers anymore.
There were action figures on her dresser. A Batman poster taped crooked on the wall. A blue race car bedspread where her lavender quilt used to be.
Tessa bit her lip. "Hayden crashes here sometimes..."
Clover's little hand squeezed mine. She said softly, "Mommy, I can sleep in a different room."
My chest had felt completely numb. But right then, it ached so hard I could barely breathe.
Before all this, whenever Clover saw Pierce giving Hayden attention, she'd puff up her cheeks and cry. She'd shout, "That's my daddy!"
And every single time, Pierce would turn around and tell me I wasn't raising her right.
But now?
Now she just stood there, staring at the room that didn't feel like hers anymore, quiet as a ghost.
Kids pick up on everything. And she'd already figured out that only the favorite gets to throw a fit.
Pierce's jaw tightened.
Tessa rushed to fill the silence. "I'll pack all this up right now. Mrs. Rush, please don't be mad at us..."
The two of them stood there together, all wide eyes and trembling lips, looking like I was some kind of monster.
In the past, her passive-aggressive little digs always set me off. I'd blow up. Pierce and I would fight for hours.
But this time?
I just stood there. Watched. Said nothing.
Finally, Pierce spoke.
"You need to stop letting yourself in and out of my place like this," he said, voice low. "You're a single mom. People are gonna talk."
After they gathered up Hayden's stuff, the kid looked up at Pierce with these big, sad eyes.
"Daddy, will you walk us out?"
Pierce hesitated. Looked at me.
I smiled. Kept my voice light. "You've known Tessa your whole life. Of course you should walk them out."
He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but I'd already turned toward the kitchen to boil some water.
Right before he stepped outside, Pierce called back, "Wait up. We need to talk."
Only after the door clicked shut did Clover and I finally let our shoulders drop.
A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.
Tessa.
"So sorry, Mrs. Rush. Hayden's just so used to Pierce watching cartoons with him before bed. He's gonna be a little late coming home."
Chapter 2
There it was again. That classic "so sorry."
I smiled and tapped out a quick reply. "No problem."
Pierce didn't show up until the next afternoon. I was in Clover's room, reading her a bedtime story—early, because she'd been up since dawn.
I didn't ask where he'd been. Throwing a fit like I used to would just set him off, and Clover would be the one who suffered for it anyway.
After she dozed off, Pierce handed me a small velvet box.
Inside was a sapphire bracelet. The one I'd lost in a bidding war months ago at some charity thing.
Back in the day, I would've squealed. Would've kissed him. Would've put it on immediately and never taken it off.
But now?
I felt absolutely nothing.
I used to be obsessed with jewelry. Designer pieces, the whole glamorous thing.
Once we ended up in Riverside Mobile Home Park. Some guy grabbed the necklace I was wearing and dragged me down a set of concrete steps. I cracked my head open. Blood everywhere.
That was the moment I realized all that shiny stuff was just dead weight. And it could literally get me killed.
When Pierce didn't get the reaction he was clearly expecting, his expression flickered. "Let me put it on you."
I smiled and stepped back a little. "Thanks, but I don't really do jewelry anymore."
He just stood there, frozen.
I went to the kitchen to slice up some strawberries. When I came back out, Pierce was gone.
That afternoon, I took Clover shopping.
Money had been brutal for the last couple of years. Most of Clover's clothes were hand-me-downs from the landlord's daughter.
But now? Now I could actually buy her things that fit. Things that were hers.
At this trendy kids' boutique, I ran smack into Tessa and Hayden.
And Pierce.
The saleswoman was all over them. "Mr. and Mrs. Rush, these just came in yesterday. Your little prince Hayden would look so cute in these."
Hayden pointed at a dinosaur hoodie. "I want this one!"
Pierce smiled and handed over his card without even looking at the price.
"Ma'am, can I help you find something?" Another saleswoman approached me.
I kept my voice quiet. "Just looking for some everyday stuff for my daughter."
Pierce's group glanced over.
I pretended not to notice and walked further into the store with Clover.
When we came out of the dressing room after trying on a few outfits, Tessa and Hayden were gone.
Pierce gave me a look I couldn't read. "It's Hayden's birthday today. I got him those clothes as a present..."
"Cool. Happy birthday to him."
Then I turned back to the saleswoman, who was watching us with obvious curiosity. "I'll take both of these."
I was heading toward the register when Pierce grabbed my wrist.
I pulled away fast.
The saleswoman's eyes flicked between us. "Ma'am, are you and Mr. Rush...?"
I smiled. "We're friends."
There was a loud crack behind me.
"Oh! Mr. Rush, your phone!"
I turned around. Pierce was staring at me, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might snap. "What the hell are you saying?"
I frowned, genuinely confused. "Shouldn't you be with them for his birthday?"
He kept glaring at me, chest rising and falling like he'd just run a marathon, but he didn't say a damn word.
I didn't get what his problem was, and I didn't want to start something, so I took Clover's hand and headed for the door.
The second we stepped outside, Pierce grabbed me again.
His voice was low and rough. "You're really just gonna let them walk around thinking that's okay? That she can just claim our relationship like that?"
I let out a short laugh. "Isn't protecting Tessa's reputation, like, your number one job?"
Pierce choked on his words. Took him a second to recover. "You're different than you used to be."
Back then, I would've lost my mind over something like this.
Pierce always used to snap at me. "Would you stop? Tessa's a single mom. If people think she's Mrs. Rush, they back off. It's easier for her."
But now?
What was the point of fighting Tessa over any of that?
I just wanted to raise Clover. Give her the stable, comfortable life she deserved.
I said calmly, "Isn't this what you always wanted?"
Pierce's face went red. He turned and stormed off without another word.
I didn't care. I took Clover out for a nice steak dinner, then bought her a bunch of other stuff she'd been eyeing.
Living without stressing over every dollar again. It almost felt like before the divorce.
Chapter 3
After Pierce and I got married the first time, I quit my job and became a full-time wife.
Everyone around me was jealous. I had a rich dad, and I'd married this self-made guy already crushing it in tech.
I really thought I'd be happy forever.
Then Tessa got divorced.
The first Valentine's Day Pierce missed, he told me he was stuck at the office late.
But the second he walked through the door, Tessa showed up holding his watch.
I just stared at her, confused.
He barely even looked at me. "Tessa works at the company. She grabbed it for me on her way out."
I wanted to ask more questions, but he looked so wiped that I couldn't bring myself to ask.
I had it so easy at home—like, everything handed to me. He worked insane hours.
It didn't feel right to doubt him. So I didn't.
I told myself marriage meant trust. I couldn't just get jealous over random stuff.
But it kept happening.
On our anniversary, Pierce left me sitting alone at this expensive restaurant to go help Tessa with some fight she was having with her landlord.
Then came this sudden rainstorm. Clover and I got stuck at her daycare. Pierce drove Tessa and Hayden home instead.
Clover caught the flu, spiked a fever, and had a seizure. I couldn't get Pierce on the phone anywhere. I took her to the ER by myself—only to find him there with a whole team of specialists treating a scraped knee on Hayden.
Every single time, Tessa would text me first:
"So sorry, Mrs. Rush. Pierce said I shouldn't stay at my apartment anymore. He's moving me into one of his rental properties."
"So sorry, Mrs. Rush. It's my fault—I got lightheaded. He's just gonna drop me off, then he'll come get you guys."
"So sorry, Mrs. Rush. Pierce is just really worried about Hayden. I'll talk to him in a sec."
Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I kept asking Pierce, over and over, who was his wife? Who was his daughter?
At first, he tried to explain. He was patient about it.
"We've known each other our whole lives. I help her out when I can."
But then he started getting annoyed.
"You grew up with everything handed to you. You have no idea what it's like for people who struggle. Can't you cut her some slack?"
"Tessa's a single mom. Why do you always have to come at her like this?"
"Can't you handle anything yourself? I've got a thousand things going on at work, and now I'm supposed to run around after you and your kid too?"
"If you can't raise that girl right, find someone who can. She's already learned how to throw tantrums, and she's only this age. She's gonna be a nightmare when she grows up."
Clover and I stopped waiting for him to come home, hoping for anything good.
Because the second he walked in, the yelling would start.
Clover got quieter and quieter. Barely talked at all anymore.
Even her preschool teacher, Ms. Hartwell, asked if everything was okay at home.
What finally made me decide to divorce him was the night of Pierce's company gala.
He told me he was working late.
I'd been so exhausted and brain-dead that I'd completely forgotten the gala was even happening.
Then I saw a post on Instagram from some local influencer.
"The CEO of Rush Innovations and his wife look absolutely stunning together. Straight out of a movie."
The photo showed Pierce and Tessa standing side by side at the gala, all dressed up.
I called Pierce again and again. No answer.
When he finally picked up, it was Tessa's voice on the other end.
"Mrs. Rush, Pierce is swamped right now. Whatever you need to tell him, you can just tell me."
I told her to put Pierce on the phone.
She let out this little fake laugh, all sweet and totally condescending. "Mrs. Rush, I'm Pierce's assistant. He doesn't keep secrets from me, you know."
Then she whispered, "A lot of people tonight said I'd make a way better Mrs. Rush, like, way better!"
I was shaking all over. I didn't even change out of my slippers—just grabbed my keys and drove straight to the gala.
